FRANCE – In parallel with research on the methods of electricity storage, innovations are emerging in thermal storage; among them, the Battherm system designed by the company Stiral. Battherm has been conceived for all industrial batch processes using hot water or steam under pressure: food industry, chemical industry, heat networks, etc. Specialized in the analysis of thermal issues (conversion, generation and heat transfer), Stiral engineers have coupled an exchanger and innovative bio-based phase change materials to store calories. A prototype has been developed as part of the 8th edition of the Total-Ademe “Expressions of interest” competition and made to cover a temperature range of 100 to 140 ° C with a capacity of 25 kWh.n A standard module 100kWh capacity is being marketed this year. Parallelepipoid shaped, it is more compact than a hot water tank. Operating at low pressure, it reduces the risks and constraints due to storage under pressure. According to Pierre Billat, president of Stiral, “the waste energy recovery is genuinely interesting for the industry. With BAT-119-100 modules, our customers will have a quick return on investment, in around about 3 years (for 5 daily cycles). In mass production, we aim for an IRR of less than two years. “